Switch for an electrical card connector

Abstract

An electrical card connector ( 1 ) includes an insulative housing ( 2 ), a plurality of electrical terminal ( 3 ) received in the housing, an end position switch ( 4 ) and a protection-detecting switch ( 5 ). The protection-detecting switch is used for detecting if an inserting electrical card is in a write-protect state and is insert molded in the housing. The protection-detecting switch includes an actuating contact ( 51 ) and a fixed contact ( 52 ). The actuating contact comprises a cantilever ( 514 ). The fixed contact comprises a fixing panel ( 521 ) and a resilient contact portion ( 522 ). The cantilever is downwardly moveable by the electrical card to engagingly push outwardly the resilient contact portion of the fixed contact.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An electrical connector adapted for connecting an electrical card with a printed circuit board, comprising: 
       an insulative housing receiving a plurality of signal contacts therein, the housing including a base portion and a sidewall extending from the base portion; and  
       a detecting switch insert molded in the sidewall and the base portion of the housing and comprising an actuating contact and a fixed contact, the actuating contact comprising a cantilever, the fixed contact comprising a fixing panel and a resilient contact portion extending from the fixing panel for engaging with the cantilever of the actuating contact, the cantilever being downwardly moveable by the electrical card to engagingly push outwardly the resilient contact portion of the fixed contact;  
       wherein a cutout is defined in the sidewall and extends into the base portion, and the cantilever of the actuating contact and the resilient contact portion of the fixed contact extend into the cutout;  
       wherein the fixing panel of the fixed contact extends across the cutout of the sidewall of the housing;  
       wherein the fixing panel defines two notches in opposite sides of a free end thereof securely retaining the fixing contact in the sidewall of the housing;  
       wherein the cantilever of the actuating contact comprises an arcuate portion for contacting a bottom of an inserted electrical card, a linking piece extending from the arcuate portion, and an actuating piece extending from the linking piece for contactingly actuating the contact portion of the fixed contact;  
       wherein a curved portion is formed on a distal end of the contact portion of the fixed contact for contacting the actuating piece of the cantilever;  
       wherein the base portion of the housing defines a hollow portion, and wherein the actuating contact comprises a first tail portion extending into the hollow portion of the base portion of the housing;  
       wherein the fixed contact comprises a second tail portion extending into the hollow portion of the base portion of the housing.